Locomotive tender



Oct. 22, 1940. J. J. KRESS LOCDMOTIVE TENDER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 8, 1938 Oct. 22, 1940. J, J. KRESS LOCOHO'IIVE TENDER Fil ed March 8, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ORNEYS R O T N E V m Joseph J Kress QZMZ Oct. 22, 1940. J. J. KRESS 2,219,073

LOCOMOTIVE TENDER Filed March 8, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 TELEHE.

. \NVENTOR Joseph J Kr'ess BY 26 Zn/1W ORNEY5 Patented Oct. 22, 1940 PATENT OFFICE 2,219,013 LOCOMOTIVE TENDER Joseph J. Kress, Erie, Pa., assignor to Standard Stoker Company, Incorporated, a corporation of Delaware Application March 8,

4 Claims.

This invention relates to locomotive tenders which are equipped with a fuel conveyor of a locomotive stoker.

It is the principal object of this invention to so arrange the stoker conveyor in the locomotive tender that the drive mechanism for the conveyor is adequately protected from the water, and whereby repair of the drive mechanism may be conveniently carried out.

A further object of this invention is to provide a stoker conveyor having adrive mechanism housing which forms a more or less permanent part of the conveyor; such housing arranged to maintain the drive mechanism in operative relation and adapted to be immersed in the water compartment of the tender.

It is also an object of this invention to so arrange the drive mechanism within said housing that assembly and disassembly of said drive mechanism may be carried on from a position in the tender fuel bin and in a manner whereby the drive mechanism housing is not disturbed from its position in the stoker conveyor.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a new and improved gear drive having several gear trains housed within a suitable casing having an aperture, for removal of such gear trains, which opening is smaller than the space occupied by the gear trains.

These and other objects, together with their attendant advantages, will become apparent as the following description is read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of the forward portion of the improved tender taken along the vertical medial plane of the said tender, portions of the invention being shown on the line I-I of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view in plan taken along the line 3--3 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 with a cover removed to show the interior of the drive mechanism housing;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing a modification as viewed along the line 5-5 of Fig. 6; and

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Referring now to the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, T represents the tender, having a tank I0 mounted above the frame II. The tank III includes a fuel compartment or bin I2 and a water compartment l3. A

1938, Serial No. 194,545

horizontally disposed plate I4, spaced above the frame I I, forms the bottom of the fuel bin l2.

Fuel in the bin I2 is received by a conveyor C, extending into the water compartment I3 in a manner to occupy but little of the space available for the water supply. The conveyor C includes a trough conduit l5, approximately V- shaped in transverse cross section. At its forward end, the trough conduit I5 is provided with a vertical plate I6, forming a water tight closure at the front of the tender tank. The bottom plate I4 is provided with a longitudinally extending central aperture II through which the conveyor C is adapted to pass downwardly from the fuel bin I2 into the water compartment I3. The upper sides of the trough conduit I5 are flanged outwardly as at I8 and overlap the bottom plate I4 along each side of the aperture II. The trough conduit I5 is secured by welding I8ato the bottom plate I4 in water-tight fashion.

To the inner side of the vertical plate I5 a crusher I9 is secured for cooperating with the conveyor screw 20 to reduce oversize lumps of fuel as the conveyor screw urges the fuel forwardly. The fuel enters the trough conduit I5 through its upwardly opened mouth 2I; slidable plates 22 are mounted to form an opening 23 at various points along the trough conduit I5. To the forward side ofv the vertical plate I6, a spherical shell 24 is secured forming one element of a ball and socket joint between the con-- veyor C and a conveyor leading forwardly to the locomotive (not shown).

The conveyor screw 2|! is substantially coextensive in length with the trough conduit I5 and is provided at its rearward end with a polygonal socket 25. This socket 25 receives a complementary polygonal outward portion 26 of a shaft 21 operated by drive gearing D. The drive gearing D includes appropriate shafts and gears which are housed within and maintained in operative relation in a gear case 28. On its forward side, the gear case 28 is provided with a wall 29 whereby it is rigidly attached to the rear end of the trough conduit I5. The joint between the gear case wall 29 and the trough conduit is made water-tight by welding a bent angle iron 30 in position. A portion of the gear case 28 extends below the trough conduit I5. That portion of the wall 29 which is withon the confines of the troughconduit I5 is apertured at 3| in order to provide access into the interior of the gear case 28. The rear wall 32 of the gear case is imperforate.

A cover 33 is secured by bolts 34 to the forward wall 29 and serves as a closure for the aperture 3 I. In approximate axial alignment with the conveyor screw 28, the cover 33 is provided with a bearing 35 which receives the front journal 36 of the shaft 21. The rear journal 31 of this shaft is received in a bearing 38 formed in the imperforate rear wall 32 of the gear case 28. The shaft 21 is splined at 39 and carries thereat a gear 46, the lower portion of which extends into the gear case 28 below the level of the trough conduit I5.

An intermediate shaft 4| is disposed at one side of the shaft 21 and it is provided with a front journal 42 received in a bearing 43 of the cover 43 of the cover 33 and a rear journal 44 carried in the gear case rear wall 32. Between its journals 42, 44, the intermediate shaft 4| has formed thereon a pinion 45 with which'the gear 4|) is meshed. The teeth of the pinion 45 are of sulhcient length to engage internal teeth 46 of a gear 46 of a gear 41 which is mounted on the intermediate shaft 4| immediately rearward of the gear 40. The gear 41 meshes with a pinion 48 formed on the primary shaft 49 arranged with its axis at one side of the trough conduit l5. The front and rear journals 50, of the primary shaft 49 are carried in the respective bearings 52, 53 formed with the gear case 28.

The forward end of the primary shaft 49 is connected by welding 54 to a shaft 55 leading forwardly to the front of the tender. A tube 56 surrounds the shaft 55 and is welded at its opposite ends of the gear case 28 and the vertical plate l6 at the front of the trough conduit I5. Adjacent the rear end of the trough conduit l5, the tube 56 opens into the trough conduit. A removable cover p1ate51 covers the opening 58 between the tube 56 and the trough conduit l5.

Whenever it is necessary or desirable to have access to the interior of the gear case 28, the slidable plates 22 are moved forwardly, conveyor screw and the drive shaft 21 are disconnected and the gear case cover 33 is removed, as shown in Fig. 4. Since the gear 40 is splined on the shaft 21, the latter may be readily drawn forwardly. Since the lower portion of gear 40 is below the level of the trough conduit l5, it is necessary to rotate the gear 46 upwardly about its pinion '45 to the position indicated by dot and dash lines in Fig. 4. The gear case 28 is purposely provided with a space 66 into which the gear 40 may be rotated upwardly. From this position in space 69, the gear 49 may be drawn forwardly.

The intermediate shaft 4| may be drawn forwardly when the cover 33 is removed because the elongated pinion 45 provides a spline driving connection with the intermediate gear 41. With the intermediate shaft 4| removed, the gear 41 may be easily withdrawn from the gear case 28 by first moving it into the space 60. In order to permit removal of the primary shaft 49 through the tube 56, the outside diameter of pinion 48 is no greater than that of the front journal 58. Upon removal of the primary shaft 49, the cover plate 51 may be removed to provide access to bushings 52a, 53a of the bearings 52, 53, respectively. A tool may be inserted through the opening 58 for removing the bushings 52a, 5311.

In the modification shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the gears 46a and 41a are keyed to their respective shafts 21a and 4| a. Consequently, it is not convenient to remove the shafts 21a, 4|a alone. Therefore, the gear 46a is disposed to the rear of the wall 29a a distance at least equal to the depth of engagement of the rear journal 31a of shaft 21a with the rear bearing 38a formed in the imperforate rear wall 32a. of the gear case 28a. Upon removal of the gear case cover 330.. the shaft 21a and gear 40a are drawn forwardly until the rear journal 31a is clear of the bearing 38a, then this assembly is moved upwardly in the space 60a and withdrawn from the gear case 28a. In order to similarly remove the intermediate shaft 4lu. and its gear 4111 as a unit, the primary shaft 49a must first be drawn into the tube 56a. In all other respects this form of the invention is similar to the form illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive.

Since the aperture is some distance above the bottom of the gear case, a lubricant reservoir below this aperture is formed. Thus, it may not be essential to drain of! the lubricant before removing the cover over said aperture.

To those familiar with the art, it will be recognized that the drive gearing D in each form may be readily removed from and installed in operative position in the gear case from a position within the fuel bin. This will be found to be very convenient and results in the saving of valuable water space which is otherwise occupied by drive arrangements of past practise.

I claim:

1. In a locomotive tender having a floor and a fuel compartment above said floor, a stoker conveyor positioned below the level of said floor, said stoker conveyor including a trough conduit and a conveyor screw rotatably mounted in said trough conduit, and drive mechanism for operating said conveyor screw from its rearward end, said drive mechanism including a shaft operatively connected-with and extending rearwardly from said conveyor screw beyond the end of said trough conduit, a gear mounted on said shaft, said gear extending below the bottom of said trough conduit, a gear case housing said gear, said gear case on its forward side having a wall apertured above the level of the bottom of said trough conduit, the vertical extent of said aperture being at least as great as the diameter of said gear, a detachable cover for said aperture, said gear case being formed to provide a space therein above the uppermost portion of said gear having a vertical extent at least as great as the distance said gear extends below the bottom of said trough conduit, said gear being movable into such space upon withdrawal of said shaft for removal of said gear through said aperture from a position in said fuel compartment.

2. In a locomotive tender having ,a floor and a fuel compartment, said floor being provided with an aperture, a stoker conveyor positioned below the level of said floor, said stoker conveyor including a trough conduit opening upwardly into said fuel compartment through the aperture in said floor, a conveyor screw rotatably mounted in said trough conduit, drive mechanism for operating said conveyor screw from its rearward end, and a casing housing said drive mechanism, said casing and drive mechanism extending below the level of said trough conduit, said casing extending upwardly through the aperture in said floor and on its forward side having a wall apertured above the level of the bottom of said trough conduit, said casing being formed to provide a space therein above said drive mechanism when said drive mechanism is in its operative relation with the conveyor screw, said drive mechanism being movable into such space for removal iii through said aperture from a position in said fuel compartment.

3. In a locomotive tender having a floor and a fuel compartment, said floor being provided with an aperture, 2. stoker conveyor positioned below the level of saidfloor, said stoker conveyor including a trough conduit opening upwardly into said fuel compartment through the aperture in said floor, a conveyor screw rotatably mounted in said trough conduit, drive mechanism for operating said conveyor screw from its rearward end, said drive mechanism including gearing extending below the level of said trough conduit, a gear case housing said gearing, said gear case extending upwardly through the aperture in said floor and on its forward side having a wall apertured above the level of the bottom of said trough conduit, said gear case being formed to provide a space therein above said gearing when said gearing is in its operative relation with the conveyor screw, said gearing being movable into such space for removal through said aperture from a position in said fuel compartment.

4. Conveying means including a trough conduit, a conveyor screw rotatably mounted in said trough conduit, and drive mechanism for operating said conveyor screw from its rearward end, said drive mechanism including a shaft operatively connected with and extending rearwardly from said conveyor screw beyond the end of said trough conduit, a gear mounted on said shaft, said gear extending below the bottom of said trough conduit, a gear case housing said gear, said gear case on its forward side having a wall apertured above the level of the bottom of said trough conduit, the vertical extent of said aperture being at least as great as the diameter of said gear, a detachable cover for said aperture, said gear case being formed to provide a space therein above the uppermost portion of said gear CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION. Patent No. 2,219,07 October 22, 191m.

' JOSEPH J. KRESS.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 1, sec- 0nd column, line 50, for "withon" read -'-withirI--; page 2, first column, lines 15 and 1h, strike out the words "of the cover 1 lines 19 and 20, strike out "of a gear 1 .6"; and that the said Letters Patent shouldhe read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office. I

Signed and sealed this 11mm day of January, A. D'. 19m.

Henry Van Arsdale (Seal) Acting Conmxissioner of Patents. 

